Top Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

Trusting someone is hard for me to do nowadays. I try my hardest to trust people in my life but my conscience seems to get the best of me. I fully believe in Karma and doing right by others but people’s moral values aren’t what they used to be. I also believe that with the right intentions and without offence, honesty should be everyone’s top priority; treat others they way you want to be treated; doing good deeds should and will always come back in some way or another.

With the right intentions, honesty should be at the top of everyone’s moral list, whether it’s with a complete stranger or your best friend. I had a friend named “Mandy” that I was truly close with. I supported her in everything; financially, and emotionally. I had a husband and was expecting my first child when she was around. I went through a lot of hardship and struggle with my husband. She was stuck and needed someone so we let her stay with us. Things worked out for a while then things started to take a turn. They started acting weird around me and ignoring me. My husband was sleeping with her. I had too much going on in my life to care anymore. I was more focused on working full time, going to school full time, being pregnant, and fixing my marriage. I told her it was time for her to be on her way, she told me she was pregnant. I was bluntly honest with her and asked if it could be my husband’s baby, she said no. I didn’t believe her. She had been sleeping with a total of three guys we had to single out for the dad. I couldn’t stand to look at her. I asked her multiple times if they were sleeping together but she denied it. A few months of working on our marriage, we ran into a tragic happening. Our son had passed away from SIDS. Things in our marriage crashed after that. I gave my friend one other chance to win back my trust and she deceived me again. So now I am done with her and me and my husband had a nasty divorce.

I would never do something like to anyone let alone my best friend. I was honest, faithful, giving and forgiving. My ex-husband and I have a daughter now who is 2 and that’s all the connection him and I have. As far as “Mandy” goes, she knows what she has done, but not the full extent as far as with my emotions.

I believe that morals, values and trust are credentials. People don’t instill them anymore, it’s like they have to be earned. I try my hardest to be honest and be faithful to my friends, family, and strangers. Do right by others and yourself.

Essay of the Week

When Alexxandra Shuman was in eighth grade, she was diagnosed with clinical depression. But it took more than medication for her to feel happy again. Ms. Shuman believes she has to look in the right places on her journey to finding happiness. Click here to read her essay.

What Students Believe

Throughout the school year, young people around the world write statements of belief as a classroom exercise. And thousands of those students have submitted their essays to our series. Click here to read a sampling of what young people believe.